Centrifugal drier



Patented Sept. 1, 1936 .UNI'TED STATES PATENT OFFICE Anton O. Schmelzer, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 6, 1935, Serial No. 39,479

16 Claims.

This invention relates in general to centrifugal clothes rinsing and drying machines adapted to be attached and driven by domestic Washing machines as a substitute for the usual wringer, and

5 its principal object is the provision of a machine of that type with simple and eifective'means for preventing water drained and/r thrown from the clothes basket reaching the bearings for the drive shaft, so as to permit of the use of ball or roller bearings for thedrive shaft, which latter supports the clothes basket.

7 Another object of the invention is the provision of a centrifugal clothesrinsing and drying machine with an extracting 'element or clothes basket of obtuse conical shape having peripherally arranged extracting means and centrally arranged drainage means in the bottom face of the basket, in combination with stationary means axially aligned with and extended through the 20 basket supporting drive shaft for guiding the water drained and discharged from the basket to and through the drive shaft, thus prohibiting discharged water from contacting and interfering with the bearings mounting the drive shaft.

A further object of the invention is the provision of special coupling and supporting means between the hollow rotary shaft of a clothes rinsing and drying machine and the clothes basket, the coupling and supporting means being so arranged asto permit of the discharge of water drained and discharged from the clothes basket centrally through said coupling and supporting -means to and through the hollow shaft to prohibit discharge water from interfering with the bearings mounting the rotary shaft.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a centrifugal clothes rinsing and drying machine, embodying a hollow shaft, with an extracting element or clothes basket, which basket includes a reenforced side wall provided with means for carrying any overflow Water to-' gether with the drained and extracted water to and through the hollow shaft to prohibit any wa ter from interfering with the bearings mounting the rotary hollow shaft.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efi'icient in its purpose, strong, durable, compact, readily assembled and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With the foregoing and other objects in view; the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, in

detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be made as come properly within the scope of the 5 appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. 1 i

In the accompanying drawing I show a vertical fragmentary sectional view through a centrifugal clothes rinsing and drying apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, th apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, that is the preferred form thereof, comprises a centrifuge section'A and a'drive section B. The centrifuge section A rests with its outer tank 2 upon the recessed top 3" of the drive section B and is secured thereto in a manner hereinafter described. This tank 2 encircles an obtuse cone-shaped, rotatably mounted clothes basket 4, which basket consists of an obtusely cone-shaped part 5, extended into and resting upon the bottom face 6 of a dish-shaped lower part I. The part 5 has its lower end encircled by a flanged, inverted cone-shaped apron 8, resting against and seated upon the flanged circumferential side wall of the lower part1, to align the circumferential flanges 9 and 10 on the upper part 5 and the apron 8 respectively, and permit of rigidly securing these flanges 9 and In to each other by means of rivets I l. The upper end'of the part5 is reenforced by a flanged, corrugated and obtusely cone-shaped skirting l2, the inwardly extended corrugations! of which are spaced from the top of the skirting and contact at spaced intervals with the wall l5 of the part 5. The arrangement described 'reenforces the part 5 and provides a plurality of longitudinal channels l6, in open communication with an 40 upper horizontally arranged, ring-shaped channel l1, encircling the upper end of the part 5, and a lower ring-shaped chamber |8,'formed between the wall l5 of the part 5 and its apron 8.

These channels l5 guide water overflowing from the basket 4 into its ring-shaped channel Hi to the ring-shaped chamber Hi, from where such water is discharged through a'plurality of openings ll in the bottom of chamber I 8 to and through the discharge openings IQ of the basket 4, and then carried away together with thedrain and discharge water of the basket as will be later described. The skirting I2 is supported by a circumferential lateral flange 20 at' its bottom end, which flange rests upon the flange 9 of ;the

'part 5 and is secured thereto by means of the rivets ll.

Water drained and discharged from the basket 4 through a central drain opening 2| and the discharge openings i9 is fed into a funnel-shaped stationary member 22, the side wall 23 of which extends upwardly close to the flange 9 of the bottom part 'I of the basket 4. This member 22 is threadedly connected at 24 to a supporting pipe 25, extended through a-hollowdrive shaft 23 and supported upon the housing of the drive section B as will be later described.

The housing of the drive section B comprises-a cup-shaped base plate 21 and a recessed top or cover member 28, the downturned peripheral-wall 29 of which is secured to the upturned flange 30 of the base plate 21. The top member 28 is supported onlegs 3 l extended int'o pockets 32 of said member and secured thereto by rivets 33. The housing rotatably mounts the hollow basket drive I shaft-ltkwhich. carries and is coupled with the basket 4'5.- "I'hus'atube 31, secured to the base plate-'21 and. partially enclosing the shaft 26, carriesupper and lower bearings 38'and-39, which pivotally support the shaftv 25. The-upper end ofth-is: tube 31 projects through an opening 45 in the top member 28 and issecured to said top member by a flanged bracket 4| sleeved upon said, tube and welded thereto, and the lower end of said tube proj-ects'through an opening 53 ina recessed, portion 54 ofthe base plateZ'l and is secured thereto bymeans of a bracket 42-, welded teLthe tube 31 and bolted: to the base plate 2] by means: of screw bolts 43. ;Thelower and'upper bearings 39 and 38: at opposite ends of the tube 31;. which are ball bearings, have their inner rings on races M-and: 45 secured to the hollow shaft 26 and. a 'cone-shapedm'a'le adapter 66 respectively, which adapter is in turnfixed to the shaft 26, Whereas the outer rings: 41 and 48 of; said bear-i ings-fare rigidly mountedin aw cup-shaped bracket 49; welded= to the upper end of the tube; 31, and in: the lower widened end-0f the tube 31. The male adapter 55 seats: and is coupled.- with the central perforated portion'fl of a'second-adapter 48",. which adapter is coupled with the basket .4. The perforation 49, of the adapter 48' permits of the pipe 25 being freely extended into and through the shaft 25., Adapter 48' is provided with external-cone-shaped face 53, which face engagesandeis' coupled with a'flanged female adapter 5| onthe basket 4;. This female adapter 5! is attached to the flange ll! of the bottomlpart 1 of the basket by means of the rivets l I previously referred to, so'that therivets l'l unite the flanges, of the parts" 5 and l, the flange-of the apron? and: a flange'5-2 at the upper end of the female adapter 51 The flanges 9; Ill, 20 and, 52 form a heavystabili-zing ring. for the basket 4, which ring is arranged in a'plane: approximately extending through the center of gravitybf the combinedbasket and adapters. a a I The lower end of the drive shaft 26 carries: a

small gear 55;;--which is rigidly secured to said 688,513, filed September 7, 1933, or may be driven from aw desired source of power, such as an electric motor. For such purpose the variable frictional drive mechanism includes adrive shaft 52, which shaft extends through and is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing 63, supported at its oppositev ends adjacent one side of the tank Z, by means of a bracket Mend the top member 28 of the drive section B. The upper end of the shaftGZ (-not shown) may be connected to and driven from a washing machine as disclosed in the application previously referred to or may be coupled with-any other source of rotary power, such as a motor etc. V

The lower end of the drive shaft 52 slidably supports a disc-shaped friction driver 55, spllned to said shaft and axially movable with respect thereto, to permit of a coil spring ii-bearing at i-tsrupper end against a flanged collar fil fixed totheshaft 62. by means of a pin 68, to yieldingly and resiliently engage and'contact'with an inter-.7

mediate friction whee1 ;59. The wheel 69 is freely rotatabl-y and-axially 'shiftably supported u'pona substantially horizontally disposed tubing. .or' rod 7E preferably inthe manner described in my application Serial Number 730,120 filed June: 11,

1934s,;and the rod'lfl is vertically-slidably mounted on hollow shaft 60 anda post 'H, in turn'rigi'dly secured to the base plate-2T by a nut '12,,soaas topermit of verticaladjustments of the axis 'of rotationof said intermediat'erfriction wheel 69' in case of wear-of its friction surface.

- The intermediate friction wheel,- when in its idlingposition rests upon and frictionallyengages an idler disc '53-, whichgdisc is pivotally mounted upon-a stud-shaft 74. This shaft is rigidly secured to the base plate 2'! by means of a nut '15. Shifting of the. friction wheel 69 toward left by means such asfor'exampledescribed in the above referred to applications causes frictional engagement of the friction wheel 69 with the up per face 16 of the combined gear and friction disc 5?- and therewith rotation of the shaft 26, which shaft mounts and is coupled with the cone-shaped female adapter 5 ofthe basket 4 by means of the adapter liland the-male adapter 46, as will readily-be seerrfrom an'inspection of the drawing. The perforations l9 and 2| in the bottom face of basket 4; permit of drainageand" discharge of water from thebasket -prior to and during its rotation; so as to dispose of undesired surplus water from wet" clothes dropped intothebasket for dryingpurposes and to permitbf discharge spa -l, relation from the.inner wall thereof is rigidly supported by and seated within a tubular extension 18 of a cover plate 19, which is bolted to -the base plate 21 of the drive section B by means of bolts 89-, The-tubular extension l3:is secured to the inlet of-thepump- 11- in any suitable manner, and the pumpin-turnis suspended from the base plate 21 bymeans of its flange 8i bolted to the base platein alignment with a drain pipe- Whymeans of bolts 83. ;The drain pipetiZ fully extends through the cover plate128-of the drive: section'B- and through a drain opening 34 into thetankj' and is rigidly secured thereto b means of a collar 85, cooperating with a shoulder 85 on the drain pipe in tightly sealing the tank 2, the top member 28 and the drain pipe 82 with respect toeach other. r

The pump H consists of a two part casing 81 in which ashaft 88, carrying impeller blades 89 is adapted to be rotated bymeans of a bevel gear drive 90, which in turn is driven from the friction driver 65 as will be presently described. Thus the friction driver 65 carries at its circumferential surface gear teeth 9!, meshing with a small gear 92 at the upper end of a freely rotatably mounted vertical shaft 93. -'I'his shaft extends through the hollow shaft 69 and'is mounted near its opposite ends in upper and lower. ball bearings 94 and 95. A bracket member flfi', rigidly attached to the tube 37,- supports the upper ball bearing 94, while the lower ball bearing 95 is carried and supported'by a gear casing 91, secured'to the base plate 21 by means of bolts 98. The shaft 93, which extends into the gear case 91, carries at its lower end a bevel gear 99, meshing with a second bevel gear I06 within the gear case 97. The bevel gear mil is attached to the end of a shaft fill, which shaft carries'at its opposite end a bevel gear 32, meshing with a bevel gear IE3 at the lower end of the pump shaft 88. The bevel gears H32 and 183, are mounted in a gear casing I04 secured to the pump casing 8'! by means of bolts I85. Preferably the two gear casings 97 and I94 are rigidly connected by means of a steel tubing I96 in order toform a more rigid driving connection between the pump shaft 88 and the shaft 93.

-When the rinsing and drying apparatus is operated the pump 11 is continuously running, that is the pump is actuated, either when the basket 4 is rotating or at rest. Consequently the drainage and discharge openings l9 and 2| in the basket will eifect draining of the surplus water through the hollow shaft 26 as soon as some of the goods to be dried are placed into the basket. Rotation of the basket forces the water in the goods outwardly and downwardly to the discharge i openings I9, through said openings into the fun- I claim is:

1. In a centrifugal drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through said apertured bottom, a basket having discharge openings mounted? on said driven shaft for rotation therewith, and'stationary means encircling said basket opposite the discharge openings thereof and including a tubu lar member extended through said shaft for guiding liquid discharged from said basket to and through said hollow shaft. 7

2. A centrifugal drier as described in claim 1, wherein the tubular member of said stationary member is spaced from the inner wall of said hollow driven shaft and secured at its lower end to said support to permit of free rotation of the basket and its supporting shaft.

3. A centrifugal drier comprising a housing, drive mechanism in said housing including a hollow driven shaft extended outwardly through the upper wall of said housing, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on the top of said housing and encircling the extended end of said driven shaft, a basket having discharge openings mounted on said hollow driven shaft for rotation therewith, funnel-shaped means enclosing said basket opposite its discharge openings and tubular supporting means for said funnel-shaped means in communication therewith and extended downwardly therefrom through said hollow driven shaft, said tubular means being supported upon the lower wall of said housing and being spaced from the inner wall of said hollow driven shaft to permit of free rotation of the basket and its supporting shaft. 1

4. In a centrifugal. drier a support, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow driven shaft extended into said tank through said apertured bottom, a rotary basket having openings for draining and discharging liquid therefrom, means for coupling said basket with said hollow shaft and supporting said basket thereon, and stationary liquid gathering and guiding means between said basket and said coupling means and extended into. and through said hollow shaft for gathering and guiding discharged liquid from said basket to and through said hollow shaft.

5. A centrifugal drier comprising a housing having a top and bottom portion, drive mechanism in said housing including a hollow drive shaft extended outwardly through the wall of the top portion of said housing, a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on the top portion of said housing and encircling the extended end of said drive shaft, an obtusely cone-shapedbasket having peripherally arranged discharge openings at. the bottom thereof, means for coupling said drive shaft and said basket including a male adapter supported by and connected with said drive shaft and a female adapter encircling the lower portion of said basket and secured thereto above said discharge openings, and stationary liquid gathering and guiding means arranged between said basket and the said female adapter and in communication with said hollow drive shaft to permit of the liquid discharged from said basket being guided to and through said hollow shaft.

6. Ina centrifugal drier comprising a drive section and a centrifugal section an obtusely coneeshaped basket rotatably supported within said centrifugal section, said basket embodying an obtusely cone-shaped upper portion provided with an integral skirting means encircling the lower part of said upper portion and a dishshaped perforated bottom portion havingsaid upper portion extending thereinto, the side wall of said dish-shaped portion encircling said skirting means and being attached thereto. '7. In a centrifugal drier comprising a drive section and a centrifuge section supported thereby an obtusely cone-shaped basket rotatably supported within said centrifuge section, said basket embodying an obtusely cone-shaped upper portion, a skirting means for the lower part of said upper portion, and a dish-shaped bottom portion connected to the skirting means of said upper portion, the upper portion being extended into and seated with its lower edge upon said bottom portion, and said bottom portion being perforated adjacent to the lower edge of said upper portion to provide a plurality of discharge ripherally perforated, longitudinally corrugated reenforcement means encircling the upper part of said basket, and skirting means encircling the lower part of said basket; said reenforcement means and said skirting means embodying flanges oppositely arranged with respect to each other to each other.

and rigidly secured together. i

9. In a centrifugal drier an obtusely coneshaped basket having its lower edge peripherally perforated, longitudinally corrugated reenforcement means encircling said basket and including an upper smooth wall portion spaced from the wall of, said basket to form a ring-shaped overflow channel at theupper edge of said basket,

and skirting means encircling the lower part of said basket in spaced relation with respect thereto, to form together with the wall of said basket a ring-shaped chamber encircling the lower part of said basket, said overflow channel and said ring-shaped, chamber being in communication with each other through the longitudinal channels formed by the corrugations of said reenforcement means.

10. In a centrifugal drier a basket as described in claim 9, wherein said reenforcement means are formed at their lower edge with a circumferential flange, wherein said skirting means are formed at their upper edge with a circumferential flange opposite to and in alignment with respect to said flange on said reenforcement means, and'wherein said two flanges are rigidly secured 11. In a centrifugal drier an obtusely .coneshaped basket having its lower edgeperipherally perforated, longitudinally corrugated r'eenforcement means encircling the upper. part of said basket and including an upper cone-shaped wall portion spaced from the wall of said basket for forming an overflow channel encircling the top of said basket, skirting means on the lower part of said basket encircling same in'spaced relation with respect to the wall thereof to form a ring-shaped chamber encircling the bottom part of said basket, and circumferential, outwardly extending flanges on the bottom end of said reenforcement means and the top end of said skirting means, said flanges being arranged adjacent to and in alignment with each other and rigidly secured toflange connected to the flange of said'reenforcement means and the flange of said skirting means and said flanges forming, a stabilizing ring of substantial weight arranged a substantial distance above the bottom of. said basket.

13. Ina centrifugal drier a rotary basket having discharge openings, a ring-shaped open overflow channel on said basket encircling'same, a ring-shaped chamber on said basket'encircling same below said overflow channel, and a plural.-

ity of connecting passages between said overflow 7 channel and said ring-shaped chamber, to permit of free communication between said channel and said chamber. a a

14. In a centrifugal drier an obtusely cone shaped, rotary basketv having peripherally arranged discharge openingsat its bottom, a ringshaped, open overflow channel on said basket encircling same, a ring-shapedchamber on said basket encircling same below said overflow channel and provided with discharge openings, and communicating means between said overflow channel and said chamber to permit of liquid flowing from said overflow channel into said chamber, the discharge openings of said chamber being aligned with the discharge openingsof said basket. V

15. In a centrifugal drier a support, 'a tank having an apertured bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a hollow shaft extended into said tank through the apertured bottom thereof, a rotary basket having discharge openings coupled with and supported by said shaft, a ring-shaped open overflow channel on said basket encircling same,

a ring-shaped chamber on said basket encircling having a centrally perforated bottom mounted on said support, drive mechanism carried by said support including a pumpand a hollow shaft extended into said tank" through the central opening in the bottom thereof, a rotary basket having discharge openings coupled with and supported by said shaft, a'ring-shaped' open overflow channel on said basket encircling same, a ring-shaped chamber on said basket encircling same below said overflow channel and provided withdischarge openings, communicating means between said channel and chamber, and stationary liquid gathering and guiding means encircling said chamber and said basket opposite to said discharge openings thereof, said liquid gathering and guiding means being extended into and through said hollow shaftand in communication with said pump. Y 1 ANTON C. SCHMELZER. 

